Jyuugoya otsukisan – 十五夜お月さん

katorisi – 投稿者自身による著作物, CC 表示 3.0, リンクによる

In Japan, the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar (nowadays late September) is called “Juugoya” or “Chuushuu no Meigetsu,” and it is considered the night when the moon is most beautiful in the year. It is a day to enjoy the autumn moon. People often offer pampas grass, dumplings, and seasonal harvests, and savor the autumn atmosphere while gazing at the moon with a drink.

KOBAYASHI Issa, a haiku poet representative of the Edo period in Japan, composed the following haiku:

Meigetsu wo totte kurero to naku ko kana
名月を取ってくれろと泣く子かな
(A child carried on his back points to the full moon and cries, “Please get it for me.”)

Yoshi Canopus – 自ら撮影, CC 表示-継承 3.0, リンクによる

This haiku, with its mix of humor and the enjoyment of the season’s elegance, is a well-known verse.

Considering the elegance of Juugoya, at first glance, the lyrics of this song might seem like an innocent monologue or address by a child. However, it actually reflects the serious issues faced by Japanese society during the Taishō period.

During this period, although Japan experienced an economic boom due to World War I, it plunged into a post-war recession as a reaction. Families whose members had become factory workers in the cities during the boom returned to the countryside after losing their jobs, causing extreme economic strain on farming households.

As a result, while modernization was progressing, many rural households fell into economic distress. They had to dismiss their housekeeper(Baaya) and, due to poverty, younger sister were sent away to work, while the singing child longed to see his mother. This song thus portrays a child, who, having experienced family separation, gazes at the moon and remembers his mother—a mother he may never see again. This sorrowful sentiment is depicted with extremely simple lyrics, intertwined with the traditional custom of viewing the beautiful autumn moon.

The beautiful yet melancholic melody of Motoori Nagayo also evokes the era’s background.